Thai red curry with eggplant and sweet peppers

10 oz (284g) firm tofu pressed for 30 minutes and drained
2 Tbs coconut oil
1 lb (450g) eggplant sliced into 1/2″ cubes
1 C (165g) yellow onion medium dice, about 1 medium onion
2 C (260g) sweet peppers – green, yellow or red – or a mix
1 Tbs fresh garlic, minced or thinly sliced
1 Tbs fresh ginger, minced or thinly sliced
2 Tbs red curry paste
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional) – about a spicy 4 with it!
1 Tbs brown sugar or maple syrup
1/2 C (120g) vegetable broth
1, 13 1/2 oz (382g) can full fat coconut milk
2 Tbs tamari
1/2 lime, juiced

While pressing the tofu, preheat the oven to 350F. Slice the pressed/drained tofu into one inch cubes and place on a parchment or silpat lined sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. This will dry the tofu out. Set aside.In a large Dutch oven, add the coconut oil and heat until it shimmers. Turn the heat to medium high and add the eggplant and onion. Stir fry for about 6-8 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. It’s okay of the eggplant sticks a bit.

Stir in the bell peppers and stir fry for about one minute, just to soften a bit. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot – the garlic and ginger will start to stick. Add the curry paste and red pepper flakes.

Cook, stirring for a minute more, coating the vegetables with the paste. Stir in the brown sugar and deglaze the pot with broth and coconut milk. Stir in the tofu or chickpeas. Bring to a simmer, turn to low and cook for about 10 minutes just until heated through. Stir in the Tamari and lime juice.
Remove from heat and spoon over rice. Top with Thai basil, cilantro, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with additional Tamari and lime wedges.

Store in a lidded container for up to three days or up to two weeks in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge overnight and gently rewarm on the stovetop.

From Vanilla and Bean